TEMPE, Ariz. – Cameron Marshall grew so accustomed to playing with a bum ankle last season that a group of media members joked Tuesday he should just keep doing it.
In spite of his inspired 2011 play, Marshall and Arizona State football coach Todd Graham wisely thought otherwise.
Marshall had a minor surgical procedure a week and a half ago to remove a bone spur and loose debris from the ankle. As a result, he will miss the rest of ASU's spring ball with a recovery time that Graham estimated will between three and four weeks.
"It was just a routine deal that lingered from the season that we probably already should have done," Graham said. "We wanted to make sure that we have him at 110 percent and he was fighting through that (injury)."
Marshall practiced the first week of spring ball and, not surprisingly, looked pretty good.
"It was very important for him to get that first day in pads," Graham said. "He is going to be a great back in our system for the downhill runs that we have and I wanted him to get a feel for those and not wait until next fall."
Marshall ran for 1,098 yards and tied a school single-season record with 18 touchdowns last season on an ankle which he admitted was sore the entire season. He was listed as questionable for the team's game against USC on Sept. 24, then took his first carry 70 yards for a touchdown and finished with 141 yards.
Marshall is the top dog at what appears to be ASU's deepest position. Deantre Lewis is practicing again after missing all of last season after being shot in the hamstring during winter break. The Sun Devils' top recruit was Scottsdale Saguaro running back D.J. Foster and the Devils also brought in talented juco transfer Marion Grice. Both are expected to join the team this fall.
